Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-12-29
A DEADLY BLIZZARD.
MANY PEOPLE FROZEN TO
DEATH.
Kansas and Nebraska Suffer From
Sweeping Storms.


How many lives were lost during th'
storm will not be known for several days. II
Is certain however, that many perishet
during the blizzard.
90 Mr.. ]. R Hszsltine, a banker OF johnson
City,, on the frontisr, reports that farmer
namsd'L C. Clark, living near Golden, Grant
county, Kansas, left his family at home, "a
go to Hartland, the nearest railroad point
for the purpose Of getting coal, his family be-
ing entirely without fuel he left Hartland
with his coal, and next morning was found
about six miles from home, lying besides his
horses, frozen stiff. The animals were also
frozen, and all Of their bodies were partly
covered by snow.
Clark's wife and three children had in the
meantime nearly persisted, and had only
saved themselves from death by leaving their
shell OF a house and taking refuge from the
elizz lrd in cave.
Two deaths are reported from Greedy
county, situated on the Colorado line A
brother and sister, named Robert and Sarah
Hoiseapful, who lived on a claim in an un-
settled portion Of the county, found them
selves without fuel Sunday evening. They
tore down small shed to burn tbe lumber,
and that night all they had not burned
was stolen from them. EARLY in
the morning the young man went to the town
Of Horace, about utseven miles distant, and sue
ceeded in getting 300 pounds of coal late in
the afternoon Being obliged to travel
against a furious wind, he did not reach home
until nearly midnight His limbs were then
numb and he was soexausted thatit was with
great difficulty he gained admission to the
house. He found his sister in bed insensible
and almost stiff. She had been without fire
all day and the poorly built house afforded
her little protection. Although the young
man was almost frozen himself he tried to re-
viSe bis sister, but to no avail
The other death reported from Greedy
county is that of farmer sixty years old,
whose name cannot be learned. He lived
alone and was not only without fuel but food.
Being a recent conner in the county he had no
acquaintance.
A widow named Mrs. Reilly and her two
~AS"AS SAAAuAOA POI ioLpA III UHO SUUEul u0dL
Dighton, in ne county. They were with
out fuel, and the storm came so suddenly up
on them that they were unable to get it. The
woman's Oldest son ST. rted out in the storm
to get coal He was overcome by the intense
cold, but fortunately wandered to the house
of neighbor He was unable to speak and
his arms feet and ears were frozen. By
strenuous efforts his liz was saved, although
he viii probably loss his feet.
There are also reports of great suffering in
Clark county, on the Indian Territory line.
A family of four were travelling overland,
and being but ten miles from home and sew
eral miles from any other house, determined
to reach home that night in spite Of the terri
ble storm. The horses were overcome and
the family was obliged to abandon the team
and walk miles to the nearest house,. A two
year-old child froze to death in its fathers
arms before shelter was reached. The
others reached the house badly frozen.
Tbs condition of the people in western and
southwestern Kansas is very bad. This part
of the State has been only recently opened
up and some of the counties are still unor-
ganized, Nearly all the people settled on
Government claims and were without money,
depending entirely upon the crop to be raised
this fall The crop, however, was total
failure because of drouth, leaving the peo-
pie, as general thing destitute The major
ity of the people live in rudely built houses
which afford very little pr otection.
lis believed that the reports Of blizzard
sweeping over Western Nebraska will show
that number Of lives were lost in the storm.
Owing to the distance from the railroad Of the
new and more unprotected homesteads and
settlers, the facts cannot be known for sever
al days In the recently organized
county Of Perkins the death
of man and boy is reported.
They were attempting to make their ranch,
twenty miles from Ogalalla, when the storm
overpowered them. Both were frozen to
death. Another man named John Grant,
who had been on railroad construction work
on the Black Ellis extension Of the Burling-
ton and Missouri River road, was found dead
a mile from camp On the Kansas line no
dead have been discovered, although suffer-
4 ing is reported as very severe.
The freezing line extends beyond the Rio
Grande and soms distance into Mexico. Dis
patches to the signal officer show that very
cold weather prevails throughout the great
cattle districts of Texas. The thermome-
ter at TT. Elliott, in the Panhandle,
registered six degrees above zero at
o'clock Thursday morning, and weather of
the same degree Of GOODNESS prevailed at Ft.
Davis, 100 miles southwest Of El Paso. The
cattle country lies between these points. At
San Antonio the lowest point marked by the
Thermometer was 26 degrees above zero.
Reports Of suffering by exposed cattle are
being received. A heavy sleet has fallen.
shipwrecked Mariners Rescued.